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Waterloo

I would think 15 feet would be fine, 20 foot if you have a really long wheelbase, like 300" or there about. I always ran the 15 footers on my flat.

SquareOne

I'm only 190" with this daycab so 15' should be fine. I'd like to even try 12, but there are times in tight areas where I can damn near reach out of my window and touch the trailer. Just would hate to order too short and find out in the middle of one of those turns.

The coil style lines are nice for the stretch, but it just seems like they would be more prone to failure. I haven't been in long enough to know if that's accurate info, but the constant expansion/contraction combined with the outdoor elements have to cause premature failure when compared to the straight style.

DDlighttruck

(11-12-2019 )Waterloo Wrote: I would think 15 feet would be fine, 20 foot if you have a really long wheelbase, like 300" or there about. I always ran the 15 footers on my flat.

I run long lines. I run two springs to keep the lines up. I added another clamp to be able to change where the second spring clips, depending on kingpin depth on a flat or a step I can change things up just by moving the carabiner

Waterloo

(11-12-2019 )DDlighttruck Wrote:
(11-12-2019 )Waterloo Wrote: I would think 15 feet would be fine, 20 foot if you have a really long wheelbase, like 300" or there about. I always ran the 15 footers on my flat.

I run long lines. I run two springs to keep the lines up. I added another clamp to be able to change where the second spring clips, depending on kingpin depth on a flat or a step I can change things up just by moving the carabiner

I run two springs too with the 15', truck is 244" WB... 15' is beyond enough, and that is with the fifth wheel an inch or two to the rear center of the drives. A 20' line would require three springs and pogo stick...

Rawze

(11-12-2019 )SquareOne Wrote: What length are flatbed guys running? Right now I have the coil style, so they extend pretty far when 'extreme turning' lol.

Dry-van / reefer...

I got sick of the coil type on my prostar breaking all the time. I run dry/reefer trailers with my prostar.

I now run the straight type and use an extra support spring instead.

How I figured the correct length, was by stretching the lines by hand (after installing them) to see if they could be pulled all the way to just past the rear tandem drivers side outer tire, they are long enough for my prostar and dry/reefer trailers if they stretch that far by pulling on them.

I think I put on 12-ft lines if not mistaken, forget exactly, but I know it was a standard length that was on the shelf.

Brock

Freezing rain followed by 10 - 15 inches of snow over the weekend had me feel the need to chain her up good!!

I gotta say, I'm gonna miss this beast of a truck once its sold. She's built for winters, factory block and oil heater, turbo 2000 air dryer system (leaves the tanks bone dry), 6 air tanks, alcohol sniffer, 6 way locking cuffs that can engage at any speed, 13,000kg bobtail tare weight grips the road nicely and the massive steers actually feel insanely stable. Shes got massive clearance for any snow drifts as well.

Chamberpains

I use standard DOT brake hose and lots of it with 3 spring points attached. In 5 years I've never tore a line. And I've had the trailer past 90° many times.

To keep them from being written up for chaffing, I just cut up some rubber tarp I had laying around and zip tied it to any spot that may rub something. I'm sure those fancy airline wraps would do a good job too. It's not fancy or pretty. But again, I've never cut or tore a line even in -20f temps. And if I ever did, it's as simple as cutting off the tear and reattaching the glad hand.

DDlighttruck

(11-13-2019 )Chamberpains Wrote: I use standard DOT brake hose and lots of it with 3 spring points attached. In 5 years I've never tore a line. And I've had the trailer past 90° many times.

To keep them from being written up for chaffing, I just cut up some rubber tarp I had laying around and zip tied it to any spot that may rub something. I'm sure those fancy airline wraps would do a good job too. It's not fancy or pretty. But again, I've never cut or tore a line even in -20f temps. And if I ever did, it's as simple as cutting off the tear and reattaching the glad hand.

I think I’ve broken two gladhands. Both times while mid-turn

Since this is a thread designed for newer drivers- there is red, blue and universal gladhands. Reds and blues have a nipple designed to keep you from hooking one up accidently wrong to the wrong one

Universal gladhands have no nipples

The things you learn after you stuff an extra gladhand in the tool box and are trying to fix a broken one while blocking two lanes of traffic....

Brock

(11-13-2019 )DDlighttruck Wrote:
(11-13-2019 )Chamberpains Wrote: I use standard DOT brake hose and lots of it with 3 spring points attached. In 5 years I've never tore a line. And I've had the trailer past 90° many times.

To keep them from being written up for chaffing, I just cut up some rubber tarp I had laying around and zip tied it to any spot that may rub something. I'm sure those fancy airline wraps would do a good job too. It's not fancy or pretty. But again, I've never cut or tore a line even in -20f temps. And if I ever did, it's as simple as cutting off the tear and reattaching the glad hand.

I think I’ve broken two gladhands. Both times while mid-turn

Since this is a thread designed for newer drivers- there is red, blue and universal gladhands. Reds and blues have a nipple designed to keep you from hooking one up accidently wrong to the wrong one

Universal gladhands have no nipples

The things you learn after you stuff an extra gladhand in the tool box and are trying to fix a broken one while blocking two lanes of traffic....

I have always carried spare glad hands after as a rookie I tried a uturn in a intersection and snapped one. Funny thing is in 12 years I've probably used 6 of them, but not one was on my own truck lol. It's always helping some rookie who did the same dumb sh$t that I did back when.

Kind of like my air fitting kit, I spent $300 making sure it was stocked up, well its bone dry now but only a few fittings have actually been used on my own truck..... it's always helping some guy broke down on the side of the road, hate to see someone pay a huge mechanic bill for a $2 fitting.